Wizarding School Adventure: Reflections on Hogwarts

On July 27-Aug. 1, 2015, Pages Unbound is hosting a week-long celebration of Harry Potter! The event leads readers on an interactive journey through their time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and features a variety of activities, quizzes, reflections, and guest posts. You’ll want to read the posts in order, so if you missed the first post on “Shopping for School Supplies” or are otherwise here by mistake, you can head back to the event introduction post, where you will find a schedule and links to all the event activities.

Finally, Krysta and I would like to thank all the lovely guest posters who contributed to this part of the adventure! Once you’re finished reading, consider checking out some of their blogs!

I was one of those kids who always loved school, so it’s probably not a surprise that many of the Hogwarts parts of Harry Potter were my favorite. It was a school where you not only learned, but learned magic. Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology–you got to learn it all. I would re-read some of the class scenes over and over(though never any scenes that took place in Potions) and wish I could be there too. As I’ve gotten older, my appreciation for the Hogwarts scenes of Harry Potter has evolved from being focused on the learning to the community aspect. While it’s true that the house system Hogwarts employs has its drawbacks, I think there’s something to be said for being known for your best quality. (Ideally. Poor Slytherins get a bad rap in the books because it’s from Harry’s perspective, but I do think ambition can be an admirable trait.) There’s some comfort in knowing, when you’re in a hard spot, that you’re brave or loyal or clever or cunning.

To me Howards is a symbol of diversity and acceptance (yes, even with Slytherin House!). Its mass appeal stems from knowing that it’s ‘okay’ to celebrate who you are and that by working together we are stronger. Durmstrang, Beaubatons and the seven other smaller wizarding schools each have their limitations or ‘restrictions’ – including some not even allowing muggle-borns to attend. The fact that Hogwarts is not perfect but strives for the ideal understanding for everyone to be able to work side-by-side highlights the goal of most progressive nations. Hogwarts is a symbol of equality among all: races, abilities, genders, personalities, beliefs. My Hogwards strives to be the best humanity has to offer (flaws and all) – and sometimes it takes a bit of creative imagination to have hope and believe in the fruition of those ideals.

Author M.J. Moores is an avid reader and writer of speculative fiction and the journey of self-discovery. www.mjmoores.com

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Hogwarts belong to J. K. Rowling. This event is a fan-created adventure meant to celebrate Rowling’s wizarding world and is in no way endorsed by her.

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BRIANA co-founded Pages Unbound in 2011. Her favorite genres are classic literature and fantasy. Adult, middle grade, and young adult books are all fair game. Briana runs the social media accounts for the blog.

KRYSTA co-founded Pages Unbound. She enjoys classic literature and fantasy, especially the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. She believes that all books should be read with hot chocolate (topped with marshmallows, of course).

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